Despite what the title implies, 'Cléo from 5 to 7 (1962)' follows the real-time exploits of its protagonist between the hours of 5 and 6.30pm, as she nervously waits for the results of a recent test that could represent some very bad news. She wanders around Paris, interacting with various people both known and unknown to her, essentially having something of an existential crisis. The film actually bounces between perspective characters, essentially spending a few minutes inside the heads of various people who interact with the hero, but it never leaves Cléo's side. In some ways, this feels like a bit of a pointless quirk, even if it does allow for some external perspective on the main character's situation. It's just not used all that interestingly, and the title cards that signify each segment basically act as chapter breaks rather than significant shifts in point of view. Still, it works well to establish the film's pseudo-vignette structure, with each segment feeling fairly distinct despite seamlessly flowing out of the previous and into the next. Although the piece is light on plot, it never threatens to drag because it's well-paced and soaked in the tangible milieu of its urban setting. As Cléo wanders around the city, we get a glimpse into the busy lives of those she passes by. The film's microphone wanders just as much as its camera, capturing snippets of conversations not important to the story but essential to the atmosphere. This eavesdropping adds a lot of flavour to the film, allowing it to feel as though the hero is part of a much wider world and framing her personally life-altering situation as one of a myriad of experiences both better and worse. It's an interesting way to ground proceedings, and it lends the affair an often fly-on-the-wall feeling that makes its events - and characters - seem all the more real. It's basically a 'vibes movie'; its atmosphere is far more important than its plot. That does mean that, while never boring, it's sometimes a little less compelling than you'd like. Plus, at one point we're shown a weird short film that may or may not be racist (I can't quite tell). Ultimately, though, it's an engaging and somewhat poignant picture that paints a detailed portrait of its protagonist and uses its confident filmmaking to immerse us in its believably everyday world. It's not exactly exciting, but it's enjoyable nevertheless.
Review of Cléo from 5 to 7
